Youngest daughter offered place at preferred school but not eldest in years - is it worth appealing?

We have recently moved house and both girls have a place at a good school about 2miles away. This school was our second preference but only because when I phoned the LEA they told me it had places for both dd's. Our first preference school is closer but oversubscribed. We've just received a letter offering a reception place for youngest dd at our first choice school - can I appeal to get my eldest in? She is in Year 3 so class size isn't so much of an issue? She is on the waiting list for a place and is currently the only child on the list for Year3. This would be so much easier as this school is in the direction of travel for work and we have relatives who attend so it would add some resilience to the day if my commute home was delayed. Concern is I have to accept the reception place by the middle of next week but any appeal won't be heard until mid/end of September and I could then be left with kids in two schools! Can anyone advise please?

I think as it's Y3 for your DD1 I would accept the recption place....schools will be happy to have 31 in a class in KS2, but maybe not 34, if that makes sense....although your DD may well have to start at the other school.....I would be trying very hard to speak to the head of of your first choice school. There shouldn't need to be an appeal in Y3, especially if your DD is no1 on the list...

Can you ask the nearby school what sort of churn rate is typical for them? Having 2 kids in different schools may be a pain but may be only likely for a term or two.

I'm not an expert in the appeals process but I think you'd need a stronger reason to get your eldest in than your own convenience. However as your eldest is the only child on the waiting list for that year you only need one family to move house and you are sorted, and often the first a school knows of a move is after 2 weeks into term when they phone up to find out why little Kevin hasn't been showing up.

If the school is at PAN for year 3, then it can't just unilaterally decide "yes fine, lets take another one,it'll be fine". It has to go to appeal.

That said, if the school is clear to the LEA and at the appeal that it can easily cope with another, the appeal shouldn't be too hard to win, as that is the test - that the hardship to the child of not going is greater than the hardship to the school of not admitting.